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Europol Raid Busts Migrant Smuggling House in Budapest - Statement

© AP Photo / Mike CorderExterior view of the Europol headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, Friday, Dec. 2, 2016
Exterior view of the Europol headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, Friday, Dec. 2, 2016 - Sputnik International
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A major migrant smuggling center was busted in a police operation in Hungary's capital Budapest, the European Police Office (Europol) said Thursday.

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MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The raid took place as part of a coordinated police effort across Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary and Romania on Wednesday. The Budapest operation proved to be the most successful, with a hotel used to house illegal migrants along a transit route searched.

"Several organised crime groups used this legal business to accommodate smuggled asylum seekers during their transit. Several people smuggling incidents along the Western Balkan route could be linked to this safe house. Two experts from Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre supported Hungarian police on the spot," Europol said in a statement.

Police found cross-border train tickets, plane boarding passes, navigation devices, thousands of euros in cash and a car during the operation, according to the statement.

Two people have been arrested so far, with further arrests expected.

Hungary lies along the Balkan migrant route from Turkey into northern Europe. The route takes mainly Middle Eastern migrants through Greece, the Balkan countries, Hungary and Austria into Germany.

EU authorities have tightened internal movement rules throughout last year amid the unprecedented migrant influx, instead opting for a controlled relocation scheme.

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